


Salvaging

by blackriddlerose



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 16:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17831882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackriddlerose/pseuds/blackriddlerose
Summary: Aloy spots Varl stripping a machine and realizes he is horrible at it.





	Salvaging

"Please stop," Aloy said in an almost pleading tone, starting Varl and causing him to fall off his heels and onto his butt.  "Who taught you how to strip machines?"

"My uncle?" Varl answered, climbing to his feet and looking at the watcher carcass at his feet.  "Why?" he asked, a little defensive.

"You're horrible at it," Aloy said matter of factly.  "You wasted half the wire, shattered he lends and broke a useful weapons modification," Aloy continued.  

Varl looked at her scrunched nose and silently agitated look and snapped his jaw shut before he accidentally called her cute.  "Will you teach me then, oh all-knowing Anointed one?" Varl teased. 

"Sure," Aloy shrugged.  "Whenever you're free," she said.

"I am now," Varl said, putting his spear back in its holder. 

"Let's go," Aloy said. "There should be striders nearby."  Varl followed Aloy through the red grass, amazed at quietly she is able to stalk her prey.

Getting close enough to one of the striders, Aloy gave a small whistle, alerting the machine.  The strider walked over to them, its yellow light alert for danger.  Taking it down with one swift strike, Aloy scooted aside for Varl to come closer.

"Start from the head," Aloy instructed.  "See this little gap here?  Every machine has one," Aloy pointed.  "Stick the tip of the spear in and push gently, you'll feel the wire break and the lens will pop right out." Sure enough, the lens popped out with no hassle.  "Ten remove the outer armor on the side and you should be able to reach straight to the heart," Aloy said, gesturing for Varl to do so.  

Valr stuck his hand in, his fingers brushing against the heart.  "You'll feel the wires holding it in place.  Take your small knife and slice through them."

\---

The sun was setting when the two headed back toward the village, pouches full of machine parts and Varl's head swimming with everything new he learned.  

"Did Rost teach you all of that?" Varl ventured.  He saw Aloy's face tighten some, her emotions disappearing and he regretted asking.

"Rost taught me everything," Aloy answered, her face softening and Varl saw a tiredness and weight on her face that aged her.  "When you're an outcast, you can only rely on yourself to survive, so you can't waste anything.  Doing so can mean the difference between life and death."

"I'm sorry," Varl said.  "For bringing it up."

"It's okay," Aloy said.  "It was teaching you, the way he taught me, that made me think of him.  My last memories of him weren't that good but doing this, made me remember the other memories I have of him, the happier ones."


End file.
